This is the series in the dogs with resources on health finances and others.
Welcome to another edition of happy and healthy
a series that's devoted to helping older adults and their families learn more about
the resources available to them in their community today we're going to be talking
about eating right we're healthy and we have with us Michele ingrown who is
supervisor of Human Services at Hillsborough County Family an aging services book
a shout thank you for having. Catherine Allen who is the director of the Department
of Nutrition and also registered dietitian Moffitt Cancer Center welcome to you
thank you for being here and Andrea broken the director of relations for our
wonderful Meals on Wheels program here in Tampa I'm Lisa Thompson director of the
bake work where ordinary people down learned Video Production Services and have
their own show just like this one. So please come and see us for that well let's
talk
a little bit about the three programs that you all represent birds Michelle start
with you tell us about the Hillsborough County family in age services OK I would
love to Hillsborough County provides nutritious meals for seniors sixty and older
so for those that would like to have
a hot lunch we provide meals Monday through Friday at one of our senior centers and
we have senior centers all throughout Hillsboro County so we can provide you with
the website and they can actually go online or even call if they don't have
a computer to find out where the closest senior center
a senior site is where they serve meals and then in addition to that if they are
not able to come to the senior center they can receive the home delivered meals if
there are more home about so we can also provide the nutritious meals for them we
can bring them to the home and ensure that they are receiving at least the
nutritional portion of the meals that they need so they can sustain their quality
of life we're here Catherine about telling us about what Moffatt does what you do
in your department on the off the cancer center is very and N.C.I.
Does ignite a cancer center it's the only one in the state of Florida it's
a Comprehensive Cancer Center which means we do everything within the whole
spectrum of diagnosis of cancer from prevention through treatment and then recovery
so we educate the public about how to reduce risk for cancer and also how
to manage their potential side effects during treatment and how to reduce the risk
of recurrence after treatment and as the director I into staff development
and develop education and training for the public as well as our patients in your
nutrition in their needs of the nutritional needs of patients as well as the
general public. Great interview you want to tell us about. That you're forever.
A very long. Has been here thirty seven years in the camp and we serve over seven
hundred seniors in homebound every day Monday through Friday it is delivered to
their doors delivered hot and they can also get we can mails delivered on Friday to
frozen meals for the weekend if they choose to do that so we're not government
funded of or supported toy by this community and like
a seventy five serve over seven hundred every day
a lot of people don't know that you aren't government Yeah we're not that amid what
is this deal yet and definitely it's one of the mess the our budget right now it
grew recently with our recipient basically grown right now our budget is one point
eight million dollars
a year and we do except great amount of money for seven hundred people
a day. Yeah you know you did
a very good yeah today we have nine hundred active but about two hundred of those
might be in the hospital or have doctors' appointments so yes there were seven
hundred seventeen people
a day you also provide meals to people who may have been injured or not are not
seniors Right right it's basically that you're home bound so you either can't make
your meals or you can't get to the store so we've had people in their twenty's or
thirty's maybe they suffered
a car accident or maybe they're terminally ill and they just do the extra support
you know they can get the story more to buy their food but you know we have six
people over one hundred Also I can't he is there it is there any income level at
which people can get the meals and then maybe not free and they can pay for the
lower back and right so when they call us our first thing we're talk about of their
home bound or not as long as they qualify with that when we talk about income our
meals are four dollars and seventy five cents
a day all I can say I'm working and please send the meals and thank you for your
backyard that sounds so good you know but the meals are for seventy five
however if. You're under tight budget constraints you're just living on Social
Security we were in a sliding scale so about thirty to forty percent of
a recipient to pay a dollar or two dollars
a meal and another thirty percent do not pay anything they just can't afford it so
we really were with them to see where they are heaviest How does that work with
Michelle I said work if it can be two three you said there there can be you know
where where you are and meals on the way actually really hard we actually partner
with Meals on Wheels because like you said there's so many people that are in need
of a nutritious meal that of course the county does
a little help with making sure that we service all of the clients that we have in
the community but we do provide the home delivered meals also breakfast and very
similar the frozen meals for those that need. Them and with us of course we're
counting so we do receive grant dollars and county dollars state dollars to assist
us with the cost but of course due to budget because you know we we have
a limited amount that we can provide Out to the community our home deliver mail
program right now we are open for
a moment so we are at rolling clients for the home to live near program and the
eligibility is that they have to be home so if they have
a vehicle and they're able to go to the grocery store and shop and they wouldn't
necessarily qualify but we always tell people that if you know someone who is home
bound that really does need the meal by all means give us
a call and then we can do an assessment to see exactly where they are whether their
financial needs or if they meet the criteria which for us they have to be sixty and
older Catherine tell us about you know they're running programs that are really
helpful to people but I know there's
a lot of misinformation out there or maybe myth information about.
What we should all be eating or not eating you know we have
a Department of Health or something else or whatever what what recommendations
do you make is as
a dietician just normally and then somebody has sort of the things you should avoid
or make sure you eat or that well what the evidence consistently shows is that
eating
a diet that is primarily plant based not necessarily vegetarian but three fourths
of what's on your plate should come from plant foods and that's why the U.S.D.A.
Changed from the pyramid to the plate method so you can look at your plate and say
OK I mean divided into three into corridors three quarters of that should come from
plants one quarter should come from animals so that we can make sure we have
a balance so it's about balance for rioting and moderation we also know that excess
body fat increases cancer risk so what should you do you should eat according to
your appetite and to eat enough to be satisfied and then have
a balanced variety and
a wide range of plant foods or foods that. I've heard this before I just
wonder if it's true. Stay away from sugar because cancer loves sugar these kinds of
you know that's a very common misconception it is in this it is that sugar is in
a lot of things naturally as well as added to
a lot of things when we think about sugar typically people think of the sugar in
the Sugar Bowl it's
a concentrated source of simple sugar came from sugar cane so it started those of
us basically and what we've done is refined it there are
a lot of foods that have that refined sugar added which increases the calorie
concentration of that food so we know that having excess calories increases weight
which then increases cancer risk but does sugar directly cause cancer no when we
eat foods that contain carbohydrates they're all digested and broken down into
sugar in our bodies and that's our primary fuel source so the only way to deprive
those cancer cells of sugar is to deprive your healthy cells and we don't want to
do that. So know if you noticed the and that logic been how that came about yes
I understand why people may think of that and there's
a lot of misinformation out there about it but sugar doesn't directly feed cancer
cells are there or they were recommended. Aside from the plague and in the plan
is is there
a. A recommendation you do have cancer you're losing weight because you're on
or all of these things is there's are there recommendations that are made I mean we
certainly hear a lot of advertising for. This is
a natural kind of thing that's and I just I just wonder are there things that
Moffitt or or you personally think people should make sure that they get it to
their meals that's
a good question and that kind of ties into the older adult and what happens as we
age as we get older and cancer is
a disease that happens more often in older adults we know are our body mass
decreases and we burn fewer calories so for not more cautious about what we're
eating we can easily gain too much weight converse Lee if you have
a situation where you're going undergoing medical treatment and your appetite is
decreased it's important to optimize the physic you're eating and make sure that
the foods you do eat have
a high nutrient content and the nutrients in our most important during treatment
are protein because protein is required to maintain muscle and strength and also to
fight off infection and to rebuild replace your blood cells once they turn over so
protein is very important and oftentimes when there's
a decrease in appetite there may be
a decrease in protein intake so we encourage that also calories in any source in
any form from any source will help to maintain body weight if weight is decreasing
so oftentimes that we have to do is tell people to liberalize their diet and start
reintroducing some of the foods that they may have been avoiding for other health
reasons for example lot of people are saying oh I don't want to eat fat I don't
want to eat sodium because of my cholesterol or my blood pressure right well with
weight loss blood pressure goes down so if you're losing weight because of an
illness you may need to reintroduce some of those foods that you've been avoiding
and that can help with appetite and that can help to increase intake when appetite
is poor. The programs that you both run that deliver food meals on wheels in the
county I know you don't get into the diet dietician portions of it in nutrition or
should you have other people to do that right yet actually it with the county we do
have
a dietitian the reviews they look at the menus before they're actually set so we
know what's going to be delivered and was going to be actually given even at our
meal sites and of course the meals are in accordance with making sure that there's
a well balanced plate there for them and then at the meal size the nice thing is
that we're able to provide the education for them because that's
a key piece too is that a lot of them they grow up eating
a certain way and now that they're getting older and they're declining
a little bit or they're having more elements or just to maintain their health they
have to reintroduce foods or in some cases maybe eliminate foods and they're used
to eating and that they've been accustomed to eating and that's what mom and dad
taught us how to eat these things they receive the education so they can maintain
their health and become and stay healthy and I think one very important thing that
you pointed out is that it needs to be individualized and that's what the
registered dietitian does that's our our role is to help individual eyes that meal
plan and that eating plan according to their situation their age their medical
condition and anything on anything else that may be going on with them and that's
a key piece too because
a lot of times what will happen is they'll compare notes friends will compare notes
I'm diabetic I have high blood pressure so I can have all these things but in some
cases I really need some of those things in my diet I can eliminate because then if
I eliminate too many of them and Hollerith I'm good fats right I'm going to lose
weight and then if I lose weight I'm going to become weak right and then I won't be
able to function independently in my home and so the education I think is really
a key piece as we get older we have to ensure that we're learning what's good for.
Us what's good what's going to be good for me isn't
a study going to be good for you so right and our requirements change over time too
and they change based on our condition at that time for you have more so you
probably also got somebody who plans out meals for what's going out to the. Day the
United. And you get passably do that kind of you know as good as we are used to
make new friends reminds me I mean that's why they're for providing education right
ribs do that because they can't do it you know you can't wait to get Iowa from no
person in apartment to even to after you know just can't do it right we deliver I
think very similar where we'll have a set we have
a menu for the month so whatever's on that menu there's going to be maybe some
alterations but for the most part what you get is what I get right and so we just
have to make sure that if I'm going to receive the mail if there's no additional
salt that I'm adding or hot sauce added on to the so that's what you're doing your
education may day go do that with how do you use that we have
a great shot of New York and what he does is he makes so many of the many say they
just know that it isn't. I mean they can make peace with it I mean actually offered
a South American to move to New York so he's a really good shot and so he makes
a six week making you know and we are regulated by the Health Department so they
come in and they check we do that the calories the carbs the proteins. All of our
you have to make sure that's all dealt with exactly bird low sodium so therefore
our as we talk about monthly luncheon for people to hear about us and you will find
salt shakers on the table because you know what you want to add salt to it because
it is low sodium fine soldier you know you will OK but our research into our
elderly they can't handle or they may not be over him about regular salt so we just
they may be more sensitive to the right so we just make all the meals very low
sodium. But all of our meals were a base of a protein a starch and
a bunch of people so today was poor guy with yellow rice black being yesterday with
chicken parmesan with pasta again I'm going. So we do have
a very good shot but our meat is very good but it's also very balanced balanced
there are their educational programs well also available through Meals on Wheels or
no you gave me again give you one example of that right you couldn't possibly do
all that because they were down so you wouldn't write necessarily everywhere you
could provide your programs down at the rec centers where they're at this right at
this in your letters but for some of our clients we do have social workers and case
workers that can go to the home and assess the needs so if they need that meal in
addition to maybe something at home services they can also do the assessment there
for those clients and then at that time we also try to provide
a little bit of education about the type of meals because we're going to we're
going to assess their environment to see exactly what it is that they have to they
have enough food in their pantry to have enough milk as their refrigerator you're
going to go out on the scope of the yeah because they know they can have
a meal but if they don't have
a place to warm up their Myler to heat their meal or keep it cool that really is
not going to be is going to be efficient for them and they will benefit or you
could have somebody like I recover my mother putting twenty minutes into that
Michael. Yes. Now do they have visual I never ever when you want to
leave me alone I go to get out and I just put the twenty I could see that better
that's in all but if you did get the air. India but that's
a key piece because if you want to make sure that goes with all that's all right
now and she yeah they're going to overcook their meal or
a buy back to heart with the rings that Lee So we do we try to just sure that the
clients that are homebound if they are homebound that they are receiving those
additional services just to assure that they can maintain their meals and if they
were talking about people comparing things and I find it interesting I go because
a new one has. Diabetes too and it has. Renal
failure and now she got cancer so you say you have this and she says no I
can't have that on that diet I get my yes I should have and I said I just read that
you know a diabetic should have X.
And then you have got a person who has kidney failure can't have
a some confuse some outs where if the if they've been
a patient in the hospital the dietician would have educated them so oftentimes they
get that education in the medical setting and then they go home and hopefully they
know what to do with the pain about Yass well but I mean I just think the whole
thing is very confusing life don't we have. Daily daily maybe they're not daily
but they feel like daily and it's probably because you know I'm old enough to
remember when this was good for you but now it isn't and this is now bad for you
but it would you know it just like over time there's so many. Different
ideas about what we should and shouldn't. Different message out there and try and
keep up with what's working and that's that's our job is to interpret that
information as and then educate consumers about what's what to pay attention to and
what to disregard because there's so much information out there and it's hard to
know what's accurate so we also help people to know which are the reliable
resources and we read the scientific information and we interpret it for them
and tell them OK this is what you need to pay attention to because there's
a lot of research supporting this and it's been consistent over time as. I would
just like to what do you think about vitamins and minerals things like that I knew
that to come out of. There so when they put that make that these vitamins should I
trust them are they well I mean these are they have F.D.A.
And. To me very good very very worrisome to me that is the abundance of people who
take. Barrels of the yes and I have found that the people who seem to have
a big healthy regimen of taking them get sick
a lot more than other people who don't do that you are most of used to most of them
are are not necessary Most people don't realize that the dietary supplements are
not tested before they're put on the shelf they're not regulated by the F.D.A.
They can be they're not tested by the F.D.A. Drugs are tested by the F.D.A.
Before they're allowed to be sold are prescribed dietary supplements or are in an
entirely different category they are only tested when they have been shown to cause
harm so
a lot of those dietary supplements find immense minerals and herbal supplements are
not don't have mandatory testing for safety or effectiveness so there are
a lot of people taking them in doses that could be toxic or they're taking them
without knowing how much they need for their body they're meant to supplement food
not to replace food and they're not meant to be
a treatment they're not meant for therapeutic reasons unless they're prescribed for
therapy many people are self medicating when they take high doses of vitamin
mineral supplements or months but we're here and I think there's so much marketing
going on of these things and if you want to reduce stress take this vitamin or
supplement to David's ward or whatever it's called St John's I try to say Oh you
did I did did you know that was my favorite saying. Something not happy.
But anyway so it's not only that but I remember
a friend of mine who had
a tremendous problem with her are I am raging and. So
she couldn't go anywhere or do anything and it was packed for weeks and weeks and I
started reading something about one of these herbs. And its ability to
cause hemorrhaging and then also
a daily dose of. But aspirin will will thin your brought out right so here so I
called her up and I said Is there any chance blah blah blah because they couldn't
figure out why she her I am rich and she took all of the out because by now
anything to add to them was something that could cause blood thinning to the degree
that you would hemorrhage we see that just just in saying to me Wow What what do we
do about the fact that you know now I see as being marketed to death over the flu
vaccine. Side myself too we really need that is there any chance that that causes
something else. And you know how do we insulate or protect
people who are vulnerable just by well it's and it's been more and more difficult
with all the information on the Internet to be able to determine what's real and
what isn't and what's being promoted by
a company who wants to simply sell their product versus reliable information so I
the best thing to do is to check with your physician or dietitian your health
practitioner and say based on my current situation and my condition and my diet
what do you think I should be taking many times we recommend having
a blood test for example of vitamin D. Many people are deficient in vitamin D.
But the only way to know whether you are not is to have
a blood test and the best way to treat it really the only way is to take the
recommended amount for you based on what your level is to correct the deficiency we
don't advise people to go out and randomly start taking high doses of any vitamin
without being tested because they could do some damage you can't selves absolutely
sure. We're winding down our well I thought was another one more question and that
was about what you should do with cancer and you have that well is there anything
when you're. When you have cancer that you should actually wait you talk about
protein and calories right point but are there things that need to be avoided that
there are no foods that we know during cancer treatment that should be avoided we
don't have enough research to really support of voiding any one thing during
treatment however there is enough research to show that red meat and processed
meats increase risk for cancer recurrence or developing cancer particularly colon
cancer there is an association between red me processed meat and colon cancer so
any. One who is at risk for colon cancer or who has had colon cancer we do
recommend avoiding that as they move forward stay away from the salami that became
New York and the hot dogs and the Hot Dogs don't want those resentful is that. What
you have to about three minutes
a time what did so want to give each one of you some portion of
a minute to. Make sure that you let viewers know something you want to repeat
something you said earlier or you hear something we missed that you want to make
sure you are is know about Meals on Wheels or your other program. You go first
hoping you are anyone you know is out home and can't get out to make their own
meals or they can't get to the grocery store you know please have them give us
a call we would love to help them out about hot home delivered mail to them every
day your website it's W W W dot in mode Tampa dot org
or Mo W.
Yeah. Motera I don't already. Know.
That the number is two three eight point one zero I know we're going to run that
during the program or if you have the resources there Michel and for us
a good portion of what we do in addition to delivering meals and providing meals at
our meal sites is the education piece so I just encourage all seniors or anyone in
the community if you're really unsure about your dietary needs to talk with your
doctor but also don't be. A dietitian and we actually have nurses at our senior
centers that can provide you with some education and some information or we can
refer you to
a dietician from Moffitt or from another organization they can assist you with your
specific needs and really
a lot of it is just educating making sure that you understand the importance of
a nice well balanced meal so no extra chips and cookies and cakes. You know
before and after meals and I run a calendar on your website we have
a calendar that outlines the meals and for our nutrition program you do have to be
enrolled to receive the home delivered or for the meal site but if you go to the
education programs any time absolutely or even stop by one of our male sides and
you don't have to be placed on
a waiting list will just roll and roll you right then and there but you can go
right. To W W W dot Hillsborough County dot org and or and use it for
nutrition information seek out a registered dietitian We have also have
a well ask the dietitian on our Moffat dot org website and eat right Daughter
organize another organization where you can find
a dietician in your area right doctor or go with the program eating right that's
right me appreciate you all being here and bang your best knowledge and services
that you could take with them and go get and enjoy the shade watching STATE
again another happy healthy and please come visit us. With
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